The Act of Simplicity (Learn Me Right)
by gustin puckerman
Summary: There's a tangle of madness as they get deeper into Maria Hill's head, but it seemed as though Steve couldn't stop following her wherever she needed to go. When Maria had a break-in, and things silently went into chaos. ― developing Steve/Maria, large friendship ensemble.


**Disclaimer**: Everything belongs to their rightful owners.  
**Pairings**: Developing Steve/Maria, side-Tony/Pepper, hint-Bucky/Natasha, hint-Clint/Natasha, little-Steve/Sharon Carter.  
**Genre**: Adventure, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship― so, practically, a little bit of everything.  
**Word(s)**: 4,568 words.  
**Rating**: As far as I'll go, I don't think it will be beyond T/PG-13.  
**Summary**: There's a tangle of madness as they get deeper into Maria Hill's head, but it seemed as though Steve couldn't stop following her trail. When Maria had a break-in, and things silently went into chaos.

**Author's Note**: Sometimes my brain poops out ideas. And most of the times, it would want to expand it. Here's one of the results. Can also be found on AO3. Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, preferably 13 months after the movie.

**Musically Inspired**: Mostly "_Not With Haste_" by Mumford & Sons, but perhaps most of you are more familiar with the Disney's Brave's version of it, which I believe to be just as equally wonderful, "_Learn Me Right_" from Brave's Soundtrack.

Beta'd by the ever loveliest **Lynn**, who never fails to amaze me.

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**COUNT  
1**

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**maria**

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It was two in the morning when she arrived at Avengers Tower.

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Stepping into the lobby, Maria presented her ID card, and watched her own face flash across the screen ― hair pinned back, lipstick in place, eyes harsh as ever ―confirming her identity even though she was well aware that JARVIS had probably identified her as soon as one of Stark's many cameras caught her in sight. Knowing Stark, the AI had probably spotted her three blocks away. Because, you know, it's Stark and sometimes (most of the time), he's a creep.

The AI made itself known about a second later, welcoming her in, voice soothing and calm, and Maria studied the lack of annoyance in its tone, before she put her mind in reverse, and paused ―_ can JARVIS be annoyed? _About three nanoseconds later, Maria decided that the answer could be anything, and it probably wouldn't help with her situation, so she didn't ponder it for too long. "I need to see Stark," was the only thing she said, when JARVIS allowed her access to the lift.

"I'm sorry, Miss Hill. Currently, Sir and Miss Potts are―"

"Code Padalecki, three-one-five alert." She snapped at nothing, glaring at the elevator's doors as though it could give her some form of satisfaction when it burned in her gaze, but nothing of the sort happened, and she thought she might have heard JARVIS hesitate. Shaking her head inwardly, Maria realized there was no point in doing so, and the AI did not deserve to be at the receiving end of her wrath; softening her tone, she leaned against the wall and tried again: "If you'd please, JARVIS."

"Right away, Miss Hill."

JARVIS, of course, wouldn't take her to Stark's personal quarters, which explained why at exactly 2:21 in the morning, Maria Hill was standing in the middle of, what Barton had publicly called, the Avengers' living room. Although of course, as the clock struck 2:22, there was no one in the large room besides from her. Slowly, Maria Hill breathed.

"Maria?"

2:25 AM.

Maria peeled one eye open, and, trying to keep a straight face as she spun around at the sudden intrusion of voice, knew she broke her expressionless mask when the one who's standing there by the lift was none other than Pepper Potts; hair a little messy, sleepiness still crusting her heavy-lidded eyes, but awareness taking over her whole body. "Pepper," Maria sighed, a part of her exhaling in relief at the familiar face, something she hadn't known she was capable of feeling. At least, not that strongly.

"Oh Maria, what happened?" Pepper hushed, coming forward.

"Yes, mind telling us what are you doing sending out a fake alarm in the dead of night? I know your kind don't really sleep, Hill, but we humans, well, it's kind of essential for us so we can keep on living." Stark grumbled, and when Maria spared a damn to look, she noticed that at least his expression was just as alert as hers, as though he never considered sleep himself, but his attire ― or the lack thereof ― betrayed her judgment.

Pepper didn't say anything, one hand touching Maria's arm. Maria squeezed it, just to assure her that she was fine. Or, well, was able to walk anyway.

"Tony said you gave JARVIS a code. An important one."

"For breaking an entering, I know." And not just _any_ entering, breaking into the floors where no one but people with high clearance could touch such as Tony Stark himself, the Avengers and their associates. "It isn't in the Avengers Tower, I'm sorry."

"Well then, where is it?" Stark remarked impatiently, tapping his foot against the floor.

Maria licked her lips, and chose not to glare as her mind reeled at this.

"C'mon, Hill. You're the last person on earth to be tossing out emergency codes like that for a prank, so out with it. I'm absurdly sleepy."

"Tony." Pepper chastised, eyes wide in warning.

"What?" Stark frowned, "I am."

"My house had a break-in." Maria said, and there's no wavering to her voice when she said it, but she fisted her fingers into her palm and shoved it inside of her sweatshirt's pocket, just in case. She was sure if she exposed it, JARVIS would detect it. The trembling. No matter how faint it was. Or maybe JARVIS wouldn't. Either case, Maria couldn't risk it.

Pepper stared at her, shocked, clasping one hand over her mouth. "Oh my god, are you―"

"I'm fine," because of course she was, why wouldn't she be, and inhaled. "There's no serious damage, but my apartment currently looks like a tornado had just blown through."

"And you're―" Pepper didn't finish her sentence, knowing what her answer would be, and pursed her lips. "Was anything valuable taken?"

"No." Maria didn't bother pointing out that if valuable things were to be taken, there had to be valuable things in the first place. Her place had been just like her bunker in the helicarrier ― enough for her to get by, but not comfortable enough for her to form any attachments. "Everything's just― _smashed_. And Tony, don't even start with any Hulk jokes, or I swear―"

"Always the kill-joy, Maria. Lighten up, will you." Tony leered up with a half-sadistic grin, and Pepper gave him a look. He promptly ignored it, smacking his lips together, "Have you reported this to the police?"

Maria was tempted to scoff. "Yes. Of course."

"What did they say―" Pepper asked, before Stark cut her off.

"I still don't understand why you're here," Stark was quick to continue before Pepper could object to anything. "I know you've got another safe house somewhere - but okay, yeah, it also makes sense that you came here, because well, I'm pretty sure you haven't checked out every day until at least after midnight to return at precisely eight in the morning for work, I'd say you practically live in the Tower. But you could've just asked JARVIS for a spare room without waking us up, so why―" he paused, tilting his head to the side, "―are you here, Maria?"

Maria gave the only man in the room a steady gaze, and held it for a couple of seconds. Stark's oh-so-smart retort would probably be irritating, but this was one of those moments where she'd to allow it. Finally, she let out a deep breath and dragged her eyes away. "A break-in has never been _just_ a break-in, at least not for me. Not for SHIELD agents. Or _former_ SHIELD agents." She said, cautiously, slowly. "If SHIELD was here, they'd be the ones to take over the crime scene."

"Well, don't know if you've heard, but SHIELD's good as gone." Stark retorted rudely.

"I know. I was there." Maria pressed on, annoyance creeping in her words. "Anyway," she dropped her chin to her chest, taking a deep breath and thinking this over. Again. "I don't know, I just thought―"

"That since SHIELD's gone, you'd like Tony to run through it. Your apartment." Pepper interrupted, eyes gentle and voice soft, understanding.

Maria didn't answer the strawberry-blonde, but she did chance the other woman a look, just because. The night had been rough on her, and it had taken a toll, finally. "But that's not all," Maria forced herself to continue, darting her eyes back to Tony, who held his chin up in pride, waiting for her. "That's not the only reason I'm here."

"Well?" Tony asked, hiking up one dark eyebrow.

"HYDRA was there."

That seemed to stop time, or at least, gave an impression of it. Maria hesitated, "I lied to the police. I said I'd just returned from the airport―"

"Which wasn't true because your flight landed much earlier. Around five, right? Remember, honey, you were asking for Maria, and I asked JARVIS to look up―"

"Yes," Pepper nodded, "Tony sent you to Amsterdam."

Maria nodded, "I was there when the bastard broke in. I tried to stop him, but he knocked me out eventually. When I woke up, he was gone. But the apartment―" She shook her head, and ran her hand down her face. "I'm going to kill him if I ever see him again, I swear to God."

"How are you sure he's HYDRA?" Pepper asked, furrowing her brows.

"Because he left a message," Maria simply clasped on the hem of her sweatshirt and lifted up, just enough to reveal the dark black-purple-blue bruises coloring up her stomach and over her ribs. Tony winced, while Pepper tried not to flinch. It wasn't as though it was such an unfamiliar sight - their reactions - so Maria was careful not to give any impression she was offended, because mostly, she's not. She's just tired, she thought. The flight was delayed, and then her apartment was a mess, and everybody has their limits. Even Hardass Hill. "Plus, he's on our HYDRA list. The one Hand managed to copy and send to us before she was, well, eliminated. I identified him."

Once upon a time, he had been one of her trainees. Maria would recognize the scar under his jaw anywhere ― she'd been the one to leave it there. But she won't tell the couple that, there's no need for them to know.

"Tony will pull up the file first thing in the morning," Pepper said then, fingers cradled over Maria's shoulders. "Now, you need to get your ribs treated."

"I'm fine." She insisted, nodding her head. "It's just bruises. Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Well, are you sure?" Pepper asked, concern dripped heavily in her tone, and, under her gaze, Maria finally allowed chunk of herself to succumb to the tiredness, her shoulders sagging underneath Pepper's perfectly-manicured fingertips, but only just slightly. "Because we can call up―"

"Pepper." Maria tried, meeting her eyes. "I'm fine."

"We'll have JARVIS set up a room for you." Stark intervened, now armed with a tablet, and Maria noticed the air shift slightly with him, as he put his attention on the hologram that began to come alive in front of his eyes. It was only a few seconds later that she heard him order JARVIS to send some of his gadgets out to check on her apartment, and when Maria turned, Pepper's expression softened.

"Actually," Maria began, shaking her head mentally. "If you could, um, just send me to Rogers' floor, that would be good."

Stark actually stopped _moving_. "What?"

At that, Maria was smart enough to slip into her Deputy Director's mask, no matter how long it had been since she last held the title officially, and made sure no twitch or flinches escaped from her expression. "I think you heard me, Stark." She paused, then glanced briefly to the ceiling, "But if you don't, I'm sure JARVIS would be happy to repeat it for you."

Stark laughed, "Now you know I'd be down for any crazy wild sex idea you might have for the old man, but Steve doesn't cheat. I'm not very sure if I want him to."

Maria held a sigh, "I'm not sleeping with Rogers." A beat, before: "And I'm very aware he's currently seeing Ms. Carter now."

Well, she was, but that was only because Natasha's a closeted gossiper.

"Then?" Stark was confused.

"Trust me." Maria pled instead, once again shoving her fists hard in her sweatshirt, maintaining a calm composure. "The last thing I want to do right now is to fuck Captain America."

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Stark gave her a long, calculated stare. "Fine."

Pepper patted her back, and offered to show her the way.

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Maria was about to leave, refusing Pepper's help, when she paused in her step and leveled her gaze on the couple. "Wait. There's one more thing I need to do."

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**steve**

It was 3:02 in the morning when JARVIS informed him that he had company.

And Steve only knew the time because the AI told him so while he was still trying to figure out what was happening around him. There was no blaring alarm to say that there was any danger, or, as far as his super-soldier hearing could sense, there was no enemy either in the room with him, or if they were, they had very light feet.

Steve Rogers saw Maria Hill when she was standing right in front of the lift to his floor.

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It was 3:06 by that time.

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"Hill?" He groggily asked, uncertainly, and walked closer.

She turned her gaze away from the pinned-up sketches he'd hung on the walls, and, for a moment, he expected her to blurt out a comment on them. One, two seconds passed, and then Steve knew she wouldn't. She looked different somehow, he thought briefly, with a worn-down navy blue sweatshirt that seemed just a size big for her body and a pair of black jeans that hugged her legs just nicely enough to pass as casual for her. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, her lips chapped and her eyes weary; she looked tired. Exhausted.

"Captain." She addressed him, nodding her head once, in greeting.

"Is there a problem?"

"There is, but it's being taken care of. Not your worry." She replied, curt and professional.

Steve's confusion grew, and he rubbed his jaw, before moving his hand to the area at the back of his ear down to the top of his spine. He nodded his head slowly trying to follow, but failed. He wondered when was the last time he'd talked to Hill when they both were off-duty? He couldn't remember. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I need a place to crash," she said, and she sounded a little too indifferent and relaxed― well, as close as the former commander could come to being relaxed anyway. "Just for tonight."

He blinked, and then: "Well, I'm sure Stark has plenty of room―"

"I―" She started, stopped and considered; Steve watched. "I prefer not to be alone right now."

Steve's confusion turned to worry in a flash. He ducked his head lower, holding his arms out as though to touch her. "Are you alright? Are you in some kind of danger―."

"No." She responded harshly, then reconsidered. "Thank you," she added, gentler in tone and inhaled. "I really don't want to bother you, Captain, but―"

"You're not." Because honestly, she wasn't, although Steve was still wasn't sure what had happened. Or what was going to. "I just, Tony calls it old-fashioned or whatever, but I don't think it's very appropriate for a dame and a man to be in the same room together, especially if the man is, well, _involved_―"

Hill held out a hand, eyes pinching together. "I get it, Rogers. You don't need to spell it out."

Steve cracked a shy smile, embarrassed, and nodded his head. "I hope you understand."

"I do." Hill said later, curling her hand back to a fist and letting it disappear again in the pocket of her sweatshirt. She looked at the sketches again, sniffling he thought (perhaps from the cold), and finally nodded her head. Only then did Steve notice the tint of pink rising over her cheeks, some even meandering to the tip of her nose up to the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you. I'll see my way out."

Something was very wrong―

"Hill, wait."

She stopped in her tracks, and turned partially, mutely.

"Why me?" Steve licked his lips and adjusted his position, swallowing. "I mean, you don't want to be alone, I understand that. But why come to me?"

For a moment, she looked to be pondering, just standing there, staring at him, and under her burning gaze, Steve suddenly felt insecure, but he didn't budge, knowing if she was in his position, she wouldn't even move a muscle. Then, slowly, Steve watched her eyes flicker to the floor, a hint of vulnerability as she sucked in oxygen between her teeth, later returning her attention back to him: "You're safe."

He squinted his eyes, confused. _Safe?_

She closed her eyes then, seeming to regret whatever she had just said but carried on anyway. "Because if not you, then there's Barton, Natasha, Barnes and Banner left in the building. I really don't want to walk in on either Barton with Natasha, or Barnes with her. Dr. Banner, well, I respect him, but _you_ Rogers―" Her tongue darted out and wet her lips, contrition bled through her expression. "There's just... a sense of security when I think of you."

He blinked again, surprised.

Hill sighed, dropping her shoulders. "It's nothing. Have a good night, Rogers."

"Do you have a place to go?" He blurted out, watching her back.

"I'll find one," she said with a clip, direct. She didn't even spare him a glance.

"Then don't go," he said, with conviction. She stopped. "It's going to rain soon, I think."

"It _is_ raining," she interjected, passing a stare to the window.

"All the more reason you should stay." He tried to keep his mind from wandering. "Stay, Hill."

She darted her eyes back to the area behind him, and Steve watched as her harsh mask slowly fell until all that remained were faint lines and sunken cheeks. She nodded her head, and a low hum vibrated at the back of her throat, before she said: "I'll take the couch."

"Nonsense―"

"Rogers." She cut him off. "I'm fine with the couch. Really."

He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have suggested it, Captain,"she reasoned, now taking one hand and rubbing an eye. Steve didn't say it aloud, but that gesture alone reminded Steve again that Maria Hill was in fact human, no matter how many 'Tin Woman' jokes had been passed around the people who both knew him and her. He held in a sigh, knowing that arguing with Hill usually lead to a fight, unless you had solid points to shut her down.

"You should head up to bed," she said, though there's lack of a commanding tone in her voice, more like an urging one; kinder, softer. One side of her that Steve once imagined, but hadn't thought he would witness it. "I won't snore, I promise."

And, at this moment, Steve really wasn't up for arguing. Not with her, not with anyone really. So he nodded his head and smiled bashfully, "That's not what's bothering me."

"I won't kill you in your sleep if that's what you're afraid of, Captain."

"I'm not suggesting you will." Steve narrowed her stare at her, "And that's not a very funny joke, Commander."

She didn't look too bothered on correcting his mistake of calling her by her now non-existent title, remarking instead, "I don't joke, Rogers. At least, not according to Stark."

Steve allowed himself to chuckle, because well. It's _Tony_.

Maria Hill nodded her head, a curt nod, simple and quick before: "Well then?" She asked, and he realized that she's still waiting for him to resolve whatever's conflict that's running through his mind.

He dared himself a smile, larger this time, more genuine. "Nothing," he chose to say, dismissing any accusation that lit up in her greenish-blue irises, "I think I should join you, if you won't mind. I still, uh, have some reading up to do myself."

Hill gave him an unimpressed stare, her lips falling in a straight line. "I'm sure you do."

He neither denied nor agreed, and motioned them to the couch. "C'mon."

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At 3:31, Hill fell asleep; body flushed horizontally against his couch, nose pressed against the fabric, eyelashes fluttering against pale skin.

Steve yawned, smiled and watched her breathe.

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And at 3:33, Steve walked himself to bed and fall immediately to sleep.

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**clint**

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It was 4:47 AM when Clint discovered Tony alone in the Avenger's living room.

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It was 4:49 AM when Tony asked him if he knew anything about Hill's nephew ― or, well, if he even knew the existence of the boy. He did. And he told the billionaire that, slowly, carefully, because he still wasn't sure what this was about, but he was certain of one thing for sure: Hill liked to keep her personal things strictly personal. Hell, if Natasha hadn't stolen her file early on after they started working together, he would have just assumed that Hill was just, well, Hill. There's not much to her on the surface ― she's opinionated, but loyal. Tough but fair. Bossy, but principled ― but like every other soldier, or just people in general, Clint knew each one had their own story. Even Hardass Hill.

He didn't call her that, of course. She had saved his ass too many times for him to allow his tongue to slip.

All and all, Clint respected Maria. They went a long way back, and if it meant something, Maria did respect him. As a colleague, a comrade and sometimes, when she's just in the right mood, as a friend.

Which was why, squinting his eyes up at the Iron Man, he couldn't help himself but to ask: "Why do you want to know?"

The billionaire's answer wasn't the one Clint expected, "She had a break-in." Clint waited, knowing full well Stark would want to elaborate ― Tony _sucks_ at keeping a secret, like literally, totally, just simply sucks ― and soon enough, listening to the tap of the other man's finger against the bar counter, he continued, "Just a few hours ago. She's intact, mostly, and she didn't look like she's gonna fall apart anytime soon, but, according to Pepper, she might have been spooked."

Clint drew his brows together, confusion etching at the back of his skull. "Hill doesn't get spooked. Not about a break-in."

"It was HYDRA." Tony answered. "And I don't think she's spooked for herself."

It took a moment, but everything finally fell into pieces. "It's the nephew?"

Tony simply hummed. He was tired, that Clint could see. "From what I could gather from their phone call, they aren't close. Not in the normal term, at the very least. He's not anywhere in this country, is he?"

Clint didn't deny, "Hill didn't want him close. Or have him associated with her, really. I think she got her nephew to cut all ties with her on paper, and sent him away." It would make sense if she did. If he wasn't wrong, Maria's nephew wasn't even of age back when he'd first found out about him, and barely of age right now. She couldn't have brought him along to protect him closely even when she's working with SHIELD (_especially_ when she's working with SHIELD), so it made sense to Clint if she would have eliminated every trace of evidence connecting them biologically. "But she stayed in contact sometimes. I think there's one time when Nat caught her talking to him over New Year's."

"There wasn't much I could find out about him." Stark offered, watching him by the corner of his eyes.

"Hill's good. She used all of her SHIELD resources to make sure her nephew stayed hidden." Clint paused, then shrugged. "Wouldn't be Maria if she didn't."

Tony grinned at that, if only a little.

"Where is she now?" He asked, passing a glance.

"With our honorary American Boy Scout," was Stark's response.

"Yeah, right." Clint scoffed.

"I'm not joking, Circus Boy." Stark scoffed, and rolled his eyes. "Trust me. I don't think anyone ever saw it coming."

"She's not sleeping with Cap."

"That's what she said too," Tony pointed out, looking confused, but somehow, just lightly and comfortably amused. "Although the word she used was '_fucking'_. Appropriate, huh? I thought so." Stark didn't wait, spun around and clicked something on the bar, later bringing out a hologram scan of data and files. "Anyway, Pepper said maybe they'd been friends all along and it's better if we, well _I_, don't disturb them."

"Did you?"

"Unfortunately, no." Stark clapped his hands together and brought up a new hologram, a thermographic camera. It took Clint a moment to identify that it was a scan of Cap's room, and when he squinted his eyes _just_ right, he could definitely made the shape of Maria curling on, what seemed like, a couch with Cap lying gently on his bed in a separate room. If it were anyone who could convince Captain America to sleep on the couch instead of the bed, Clint wouldn't be surprised if the answer was Maria. In fact, he probably should have made a bet on it. _Dammit_. "But JARVIS ran a scan. So far as I could tell, they weren't doing anything I would've probably done."

Clint stared.

"Don't tell Pepper I said that."

Clint nodded, and looked at the horizon. 4:54 AM. "So what, is she out for this guy's blood?"

"HYDRA's home-wrecker?" Tony paused, made a face. "Don't know. Don't think so. Frankly, I don't know what goes through her head. Not really sure if I want to."

Clint didn't bother defending Maria, not that he'd have any points to argue against Tony, but he knew Hill, at least more than the billionaire did, and he'd stand by his opinion of her without mucking it with any of Stark's, although of course, he knew Stark's intentions were honestly good deep down inside. "Why are you up, anyway?" Stark deflected, looking lazily through his drooping eyelids. Tony must have had pulled an all-nighter for Hill's case. _Huh_.

Clint frowned, the corner of his mouth twitched. "I'm always up at this hour." Which was the truth, considering he never missed a sunrise for the past seven years now, in a row, something he'd hope to achieve and continue doing 'till he can't get out of the bed anymore. Not that he would tell Tony that, ever.

"Ah. Right. Of course you are."

"I am," he assured, and then turned away. "I gotta go, Stark. See you at breakfast."

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At exactly 5:21 AM, Maria Hill disappeared.

Clint smirked and simply thought, _well_, it wouldn't be Maria if she didn't.

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**End Note**: That's one way to start this, huh? Well, if anything, there's more to this story and hopefully, we'll get to the next chapter soon enough. Thank you for the read, and leaving a review would mean the absolute world to me.

**Note #2**: There will _not_ ― I repeat: **NEVER** ― be any cheating arc into the plot, as I genuinely distaste them and wouldn't encourage it through my writing in any way. I hope this clear things up if, ever, any lines I've written above gave the indication that I am going for that direction. (Once again) I am not. Thank you.


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